Essex: South East LEP chairman highlights transport issues

15:59 16 November 2012

South East LEP chairman John Spence

Archant

THE South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) is successfully working with, and for, businesses and councils to tackle barriers to economic growth and prosperity, its chairman has told a meeting of Essex business leaders.

Speaking at the Chelmsford City Showcase for Business event, John Spence underlined the importance of Essex and the rest of the South East to the national economy and outlined the steps being taken by SELEP to achieve its goal of creating the most enterprising economy in England.

These included addressing transport infrastructure issues, particularly congestion at the Dartford river crossing, ensuring the availability of the skills required by businesses now and in the future and exploring new and innovation ways of securing investment from domestic, European and international sources.

“As an economic powerhouse, contributing £63billion a year to the national economy, the South East is rich with opportunity,” said Mr Spence.

“We have councils doing great jobs and super businesses wanting to grow. Now we need to find the formula which will enable them to fulfil their ambitions.”

Also at the showcase event, held by Chelmsford City Council in partnership with the Chelmsford Business Forum and Anglia Ruskin University, was British Chambers of Commerce director general John Longworth.

Speaking at a lunch organised by Essex Chambers of Commerce, Mr Longworth said he enjoyed coming to visit Essex as he always found its local business community “buzzing with enthusiasm”.